Valve with shuttle

ABSTRACT

A downhole valve to be used use in a flow management system comprises a valve inlet for coupling with a hydrocarbon reservoir pump outlet, a valve outlet for coupling with production tubing transport to the surface pumped hydrocarbons, a valve body with a valve body centerline that extends between the valve inlet and outlet, and a spill port for bypassing a backflow.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/446,195 filed Apr. 13, 2012 which 1) claims the benefit of 61/611,543filed Mar. 15, 2012 and 2) is a continuation in part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/089,312 filed Apr. 19, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.8,955,601. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/089,312 is a continuationin part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/766,141 filed Apr. 23,2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,545,190.

All of the above mentioned applications are incorporated herein in theirentireties and for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to fluid flow components and systems usingthose components. In particular, the present invention relates to animproved valve with shuttle for use in fluid flow systems.

Discussion of the Related Art

Pumps and valves located in hard to reach places present maintenance andmaintenance downtime issues. Where pumps and valves are used to producea natural resource such as a hydrocarbon, downtime can result in lostproduction and increased expenses for workmen and materials.

In particular, downhole production strings including pumps and valvesfor lifting fluids such as particulate laden liquids and slurriespresent a maintenance problem. Here, both pumps and valves can losecapacity and in cases be rendered inoperative when conditions includingfluid conditions and fluid velocities fall outside an intended operatingrange. Such unintended operating conditions can foul, plug, and damageequipment.

Despite the industry's resistance to change, there remains a need toimprove production strings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a valve with a shuttle that is useful inflow management systems. In an embodiment, the valve for use in a flowmanagement system comprises: a valve body with a spill port, the valvebody having a valve body centerline extending between opposed ends ofthe valve; a shuttle including a lid carrier and a lid; the lid carrierhaving a lid end and the lid rotatably coupled to the lid carrier nearthe lid end; the lid carrier located in a chamber of the valve body; thelid carrier having a through hole extending between a lid carrier springend and the lid carrier lid end; a first seat and a first closurelocated at a lid carrier mouth of the lid carrier lid end; a first seallimiting flow between the lid and the lid carrier, the first sealoperable to utilize the first seat; a second seal limiting flow betweenthe valve body and the lid carrier, the second seal operable to utilizethe first closure; a third seal limiting flow between the valve body andthe lid carrier, the third seal operable to utilize a valve body bore; aspring located between the lid carrier spring end and a spring basesupported by the valve body; and, the valve operable to pass a flowentering the through hole at the lid carrier spring end and to spill aflow that closes the articulated lid against the lid carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. These figures, incorporated herein and forming part of thespecification, illustrate the invention and, together with thedescription, further serve to explain its principles enabling a personskilled in the relevant art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a valve in a flow management system inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the flow management system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of an open valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a side view of an open shuttle of the valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of a closed valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3D is a side view of a closed shuttle of the valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is a side view of a second shuttle of the valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4B is a top view of the shuttle of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third shuttle of the valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6A is a side view of a fourth shuttle of the valve of the flowmanagement system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6B is a top view of the shuttle of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a pump-off controller implemented in aproduction string.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a valve of FIG. 1 used to implement apump-off controller.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a mode of operation of a valve of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The disclosure provided in the following pages describes examples ofsome embodiments of the invention. The designs, figures, and descriptionare non-limiting examples of certain embodiments of the invention. Forexample, other embodiments of the disclosed device may or may notinclude the features described herein. Moreover, disclosed advantagesand benefits may apply to only certain embodiments of the invention andshould not be used to limit the disclosed invention.

To the extent parts, components and functions of the described inventionexchange fluids, the associated interconnections and couplings may bedirect or indirect unless explicitly described as being limited to oneor the other. Notably, indirectly connected parts, components andfunctions may have interposed devices and/or functions known to personsof ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention 100 in the form of aschematic diagram. A bypass valve 108 is interconnected with a pump 104via a pump outlet 106. The pump includes a pump inlet 102 and the valveincludes a valve outlet 110 and a valve spill port 112. In variousembodiments, the inlets, outlets and ports are one or more of a fitting,flange, pipe, or similar fluid conveyance.

FIG. 2 shows a section of a typical downhole production string 200. Theproduction string includes the bypass valve 108 interposed between thepump 104 and an upper tubing string 204. In some embodiments, a casing208 surrounds one or more of the tubing string, valve, and pump. Here,an annulus 206 is formed between the tubing string and the casing. Aproduction flow is indicated by an arrow 102 while a backflow isindicated by an arrow 202. In various embodiments, the bypass valveserves to isolate backflows from one or more of the valve, portions ofthe valve, and the pump.

FIG. 3A shows a first bypass valve in a lid open configuration 300A. Avalve body 302 includes an upper body 304, a middle body 305, and alower body 306.

The upper body includes a first through hole 369. In some embodiments,the first through hole passes through an outlet chamber 366 of an upperadapter 303 and through a lid chamber 364. In some embodiments, an innersurface of the adapter 367 is threaded.

The middle body includes a second through hole 371. In some embodimentsthe second through hole passes through a shuttle chamber 362 proximatethe lid chamber 364. The lower body includes a third through hole 373.In some embodiments, the third through hole passes through an inletchamber 365 such that the shuttle chamber is located between the lidchamber and the inlet chamber.

Within the lower body 306, a spring shoulder such as an annular springshoulder 344 for supporting a charge spring 308 projects inwardly from afirst inner bore of the lower body 372. In some embodiments, theshoulder extends between the first inner bore of the lower body and acylindrical spring guide 342.

And, in some embodiments, the shoulder 344 and the springe guide 342 areportions of a lower adapter 307 forming at least part of the lower body306. In some embodiments, an inside surface of the adapter is threaded348. Here, an upper end of the adapter 374 has a reduced outer diameter376 such that the spring shoulder is formed where the diameter isreduced and the spring guide is formed along the length of the reduceddiameter portion of the adapter. As shown, a portion of the chargespring is located in an annular pocket 363 between the first inner boreof the lower body 372 and the spring guide. In some embodiments, thelower adapter and lower body are fixed together via screw threads 346.

The port shown in the spring guide 356 provides a means for flushing theannular pocket 363 in some embodiments. As seen, the port extendsbetween the lower chamber 365 and the annular pocket 363. Action of thespring and/or pressure differentials between the pocket and the lowerchamber provide a flushing action operative to remove solids such assand that may otherwise tend to accumulate in the annular pocket.

Within the middle body 305 a middle body bore 338 is for receiving avalve shuttle 310. The charge spring 308 is for urging the shuttletoward the valve outlet end 399. This shuttle urging may be via director indirect charge spring contact. For example, embodiments utilizedirect contact between a shuttle carrier lower end 321 and an upper endof the charge spring 378. Other embodiments utilize indirect contactsuch as via an annular transition ring 352 having an upper face 393contacting the shuttle carrier lower end and a lower face 354 contactinga charge spring upper end (as shown).

At a lower end of the upper body 375, an inwardly projecting nose 330includes a stationery seat 332 for engaging a closure 314 encircling alid carrier upper end 313. For example, in various embodiments the seatand closure are configured to meet along a line forming an angle θ<90degrees with respect to a valve centerline y-y. Absent greater opposingforces, the charge spring 308 therefore moves the shuttle 310 until theshuttle closure 314 is stopped against the stationery seat 332.

FIG. 3B shows a lid open embodiment 300B of the valve shuttle of FIG.3A. An articulated lid 312 is coupled to a lid carrier 320. In variousembodiments, a lid pivot 315 includes a pivot block 326 adapted to bemovably coupled to a lid boss 325, for example, an engagement via apinned connection including a hole in the pivot block 323, a hole in thelid boss 329, and a lid pin 324 for interengaging the holes.

In various embodiments, the lid carrier 320 has one or more distinctcircumferential surfaces 309 (several shown). In an embodiment a shuttlegirth boss 336 defines a circumferential boss surface 337 for aligningthe shuttle carrier in the middle body bore 338. And, in someembodiments, one or more circumferential seals provide a seal betweenthe lid carrier and the middle body bore. For example, in someembodiments grooves in the lid carrier circumference 339, 340 providemeans for engaging seals such as groove engaging seals, O-rings andother seals including seals formed from synthetic materials such asTeflon, Viton, PEEK, silicone, and other suitable materials known toskilled artisans. In an embodiment, the groves provide a means forengaging cylindrical seals such as PEEK seals with a thicknesssufficient to substantially close the gap between the grooves and themiddle body bore. See for example the circumferential groove engagingseal 379 of FIG. 3D. In various embodiments, one or more of the lidcarrier girth boss and seal(s) such as seal(s) associated with thegrooves provide a first lid carrier to valve body seal.

The articulated lid 312 provides a means for blocking a lid carrierthrough hole 353. In particular, a lid carrier mouth 331 has an internalseat 317 for mating with a closure of the articulated lid 316. This lidclosure is free to move in response to lid articulation with respect tothe lid carrier, carrier translation with respect to the valve body 302,and carrier rotation with respect to the valve body. Similarly, the lidcarrier internal seat 317 is free to move in response to bothtranslation and rotation of the lid carrier with respect to the valvebody. As seen here, various embodiments provide a lid to lid carrierseal.

Mentioned above, the lid carrier includes an external closure 314. Thisclosure is near the lid carrier mouth 331 and is for mating with thestationery seat within the valve body 332. As seen here, variousembodiments provide a second lid carrier to valve body seal.

Turning now to the spill port 328 shown in FIG. 3A, it can be seen thatthe first lid carrier to valve body seal provides a seal below the portwhile the second lid carrier to valve body provides a seal located abovethe port. Therefore, when the shuttle 310 is stopped against theinwardly projecting nose 330, these seals isolate the spill port fromthe inlet and outlet chambers 365, 366 such that the spill port isblocked. In some embodiments, a circumferential lid carrier seal (seefor example seal 379 of FIG. 3D) fitted to the upper seal engagement 339blocks the spill port when the shuttle is stopped against the inwardlyprojecting nose 330.

FIG. 3C shows the first bypass valve in a spill port unblockedconfiguration 300C. Here, the shuttle 310 is moved toward the inlet end398 by a distance “S2,” a shuttle stroke sufficient to unblock the spillport 328. In this configuration, flow entering the outlet chamber 389can move through a spill pocket 384 with boundaries including the middlebody bore 338 and the shuttle 310 before exiting the valve body 302 viaone or more spill ports 328. In some embodiments, the illustrated spillport is one of six spill ports arranged around a valve body periphery386.

FIG. 3D shows an embodiment 300D of the valve shuttle of FIG. 3C. Asshown, the articulated lid 312 is closed such that there is a lid to lidcarrier seal formed between the lid carrier mouth internal seat 317 andthe lid closure 316.

FIGS. 3A and 3C therefore illustrate two operating configurations of thefirst bypass valve 300A, 300C. In the lid open configuration of FIG. 3A,the valve is flowing a fluid 388 under normal operating conditions. Thisnormal flow condition, from the valve inlet end 398 to the valve outletend 399, will be referred to as forward flow.

As shown in FIG. 3A, forward flow lifts the articulated lid 312 suchthat it extends into the lid clearance chamber 364. In variousembodiments, forward flow fluid dynamic drag acts on the lid to overcomegravity and to lift the lid away from the lid carrier. And, in someembodiments forward flow fluid dynamic drag acts on the lid andovercomes one or both of gravity and a spring acting to hold the lidclosed. Suitable spring arrangements include torsional springs, springsencircling a lid pinned connection, tension springs extending betweenthe lid and a relative fixed point, and the like.

Inadequate forward flow such as reverse flow causes the articulated lid312 to close against the lid carrier 320. When the lid is closed,forward flow is substantially limited or, but for leakage such asunintended leakage, is stopped. To the extent that the fluid head abovethe lid 385 (see also FIGS. 1 and 2) results in a fluid head force onthe valve shuttle 387 adequate to compress the charge spring 308, theshuttle 310 moves toward the inlet end of the valve 398. The shuttlediameter, approximated in various embodiments as the middle body borediameter 338, provides an estimate of the area acted on by the fluidhead and thus the fluid head force. Skilled artisans will determine oneor more valve variables including a spring constant “k” (F=k*x) of thecharge spring to adapt the valve for particular applications.

The head of fluid above the lid 385 can be spilled from the valve body302 via the spill port 328. This spilling occurs when the shuttle 310compresses the charge spring 308 as shown in FIG. 3C. In variousembodiments, spilling occurs when the second lid carrier to valve bodyseal is opened. And, in various embodiments spilling occurs when thesecond lid carrier to valve body seal is opened and any spill portblocking seal carried by the shuttle, such as the first lid carrier tovalve body seal is moved away from the spill port.

As shown in FIG. 3C, the spill port is fully open when the shuttlestroke dimension is “S2.” In some embodiments, this shuttle stroke islimited by interference between the transition ring 352 and the springguide upper end 380 (see S1 of FIG. 3A).

Forward flow in the valve is typically be re-established throughoperation of the pump 104 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). In various embodiments,sufficient pump pressure forces a) open the articulated lid 312, b)substantially remove the head force 387 from the shuttle 310, and c)allow the charge spring 308 to expand and push the shuttle against thevalve inwardly projecting nose 330. In various embodiments, pumppressure forces sufficient to open the lid depend substantially uponfluid head 385.

In various embodiments, adjustments affecting forces applied to theshuttle bias shuttle position. For example, when the articulated lid 312is open, significant forces acting on the shuttle 301 are the chargespring 308 force and the substantially equal but opposite force appliedby the inwardly projecting nose 330. However, when the lid is closed,the major valve shuttle forces are the charge spring force and the pumpforce (Pump Pressure*AP2) balanced against the head force (HeadPressure*AP1).

FIGS. 4A and 4B show side and top views of a shuttle with a multi-partlid 400A, 400B. In particular, a shuttle 410 includes a lid carrier 420and first and second articulated lids 412, 492.

Coupled at one side of the lid carrier 450, the first lid 412 has afirst lid boss 425 which is pivotally coupled via a first pin 424 with afirst pivot block of the lid carrier 426. Coupled at an opposed secondside of the lid carrier 452, the second lid 492 has a second lid boss495 which is pivotally coupled via a second pin 494 with a second pivotblock of the lid carrier 496.

In operation, the articulated lids 412, 492 are responsive to forwardand reverse flows as described above. In particular, a forward flowtends to open the lids 429, 431 allowing fluid to flow through a shuttlethrough hole 453 while a reverse flow tends to close the lids 407, 409.

Sealing between the front faces of the articulated lids 460, 462 maymerely be a narrow gap, if any, or a seal may be employed. In someembodiments, a seal is attached to one or both faces and is engaged withan opposing face when the lids are closed 407, 409. For example, afeature such as a groove 419 of a front face 460 provides a coupling fora seat. As shown, a seal 413 is located in the groove. In variousembodiments, the seal is made from an elastomeric material and has asuitable cross-section such as a circular cross-section (as shown) or arectangular cross-section.

In some production strings using pumps and valves, such as theproduction string of FIG. 2, the pump 104 used will be a rod driven pumpincluding a rotatable rod passing through a valve body and engaging apump shaft for operating the pump. Embodiments of the present inventionprovide solutions for these rod driven pump applications. In particular,FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B below illustrate shuttles through which a pumpdriving rod can be passed.

FIG. 5 shows a first pump rod passing shuttle 500. The shuttle 510includes an articulated lid 512 and a lid carrier 520. A lid boss 525 iscoupled to a pivot block 526 via a pinned connection 524.

The shuttle through hole 553 is able to pass a pump rod when thearticulated lid 512 is closed because of an entryway provided in theshuttle lid. In various embodiments, this entryway is a slot such as theone shown 514. The slot not only provides a pump rod entryway, it alsoenables the articulated lid to open as the slot is lifted away from therod. Skilled artisans will appreciate the need for a slot that is wider“w” than the pump rod diameter “d5” to allow for freedom of movement.They will also recognize when the articulated lid is closed over thepump rod, a partial lid opening 532 remains. The partial lid opening isbounded by portions of the pump rod 530, the slot, and an adjacentportion of a lid carrier mouth 534. In various embodiments, this partiallid opening is closed wholly or partially by a flexible seal allowingpump rod passage, such as a split or a lap seal fixed to the articulatedlid (not shown for clarity).

FIGS. 6A and 6B show side and top views of a second rod passing shuttle600A, 600B. This shuttle includes a multi-part lid. In particular, theshuttle 610 includes a lid carrier 620 and first and second articulatedlids 612, 692.

Coupled at one side of the lid carrier 650, the first lid 612 has afirst lid boss 625 which is pivotally coupled via a first pin 624 with afirst pivot block of the lid carrier 626. Coupled at an opposed secondside of the lid carrier 652, the second lid 692 has a second lid boss695 which is pivotally coupled vial a second pin 694 with a second pivotblock of the lid carrier 696.

The shuttle through hole 653 is able to pass a pump rod when thearticulated lids are closed 612, 692 because of an entryway provided inthe shuttle lids 670, 672. In various embodiments, this entryway is asomewhat semicircular hole cut from the lid's straight edge 680, 682such that the cut outs align when the lids are closed. In someembodiments, the cut outs form a somewhat circular pump rod entryway.These cut outs not only provide a pump rod entryway, they enable thearticulated lids to open as the cut-outs are lifted away from the rod.In various embodiments, a lip seal such as an elastomeric lip seal fixedto the lid parts seals between the lid and a pump rod. Skilled artisanswill appreciate the need for a cut-out that forms a hole with a diameterd62 larger than the diameter of an inserted pump rod d61.

In operation, the articulated lids 612, 692 are responsive to forwardand reverse flows as described above. In particular, a forward flowtends to open the lids 629, 631 allowing fluid to flow through a shuttlethrough hole 653 while a reverse flow tends to close the lids 607, 609.

Sealing between the front faces of the articulated lids 660, 662 maymerely be a narrow gap, if any, or a seal may be employed. In someembodiments a seal is attached to one or both faces and is engaged withan opposing face when the lids are closed 607, 609. For example, afeature such as a groove 619 of a front face 660 provides a coupling fora seal. As shown, a seal 613 is located in the groove. In variousembodiments, the seal is made from an elastomeric material and has asuitable cross-section such as a circular cross-section (as shown) or arectangular cross-section.

In various embodiments the valve 300A, 300C is made from metals oralloys of metals including one or more of steel, iron, brass, aluminum,stainless steel, and suitable valve seat and closure materials known topersons of ordinary skill in the art. And, in various embodiments, oneor more parts of the valve are made from non-metals. For example, valveseal parts such as closures and seats may be made from one or moresuitable polymers such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), POM(Polyoxymethylene) and PEEK (PolyEtherEtherKetone). In an embodiment,one or more shuttle seals such as the seal part marked 379 are made frommaterials including PEEK.

As will be seen from the above, various valve embodiments react to flowconditions such as insufficient fluid flow, no fluid flow, or reversefluid flow. For example, referring to the production string of FIG. 2and FIGS. 3A and 3C, the valve 108, 300A, 300C and pump 104 aresubstantially removed from the fluid circuit when the articulated lid312 of the shuttle 310 closes and the outlet chamber 366 is isolatedfrom the inlet chamber 365.

A benefit of this isolation is protection of the valve and pump. Forexample, one protection afforded is protection from solids (such assand), normally rising with the fluid but during insufficient flowconditions moving toward the valve and pump, that might otherwise foulor block one or both of these components. Blocking the flow path throughthe shuttle 353 and opening the spill ports 328 removes these solidsoutside the tubing string 204.

Various embodiments and applications of the valve 300A, 300C providevalve fouling/plugging protection and pump fouling/plugging/burn-outprotection. For example, below design production flow rates causingvalve/pump misoperation or damage in traditional production stringequipment is avoided in many cases using embodiments of the valves300A-D of the present invention.

Notably, embodiments of the bypass valves of FIGS. 3A-C and 4A-B canreplace or supplement protection systems now associated with someproduction strings. One such protection system is the “pump-offcontroller” (“POC”) used to protect pumps from failures due to abnormaloperations such as reduced flow conditions and loss of flow conditions.

FIG. 7 shows an illustrative example in the form of a schematic diagramof a pump-off controller installation in a production string 700. Aportion of the production string 712 includes a pump 702 lifting productfrom a reservoir 714 to a higher level such as a surface level 716. Apump-off controller 708 receives power from a power supply 707 andprovides power to the pump 710 in accordance with a control algorithm.For example, a pressure indicating device 704 monitors a pressure near apump discharge 711 and provides a signal indicative of pressure 706 tothe pump-off controller. If the pump-off controller determines theindicated pressure is below a preselected low-pressure set point, thePOC stops supplying power to the pump. Conditions causing low pumpdischarge pressure include insufficient product at the pump inlet 713(sometimes described as a “dry suction”), pump fouling, and pump damage.Attempting to run the pump under any of these conditions has thepotential to damage or further damage the pump.

FIG. 8 shows a pump-off controller embodiment of the present invention800. A production string 801 includes a flow management system with apump 836 interposed between a reservoir 838 and a valve 834. Product thepump lifts from the reservoir 829 passes first through the pump and thenthrough a bypass valve 834. The bypass valve discharges 821 into atubing space 804 of a tubing string 802 that is surrounded by a casing812 creating an annulus 814 between the outer casing and the innertubing.

FIG. 9 shows a mode of bypass valve operation that substitutes for oraugments a production string pump-off controller 900. For example, aftera period of normal operation 902, the pressure differential (P111>P222)driving the flow in a production string 821 begins to fall 904. Asexplained above, low flow conditions cause the shuttle articulated lid312 to close which blocks flow through the valve along its centerliney-y. When the forces on the shuttle including force applied by thecharge spring 308 are insufficient to maintain the shuttle in a positionblocking the spill port 328, the shuttle moves toward the valve inlet398 and unblocks the spill port/opens the bypass 906. During bypassoperation 908, flow through the valve along the valve centerline y-y isblocked and the spill port(s) is open, product flows from the uppertubing string 823, enters the valve outlet chamber 366, and leaves thevalve through its spill port(s) 328. The spill port empties into a spacesuch as an annulus between the tubing and the casing 814 and is returned827 to the reservoir 838. Here, the shuttle 310 of FIGS. 3B and 3C witharticulated lid 312 are exemplary of the shuttles disclosed hereinincluding shuttles with slotted and/or multipart lids.

Because the annulus 814 is fluidly coupled to the reservoir 838 (e.g. asshown in FIG. 8), valve bypass from the spill ports is returned to thereservoir 827 in the replenishment step 910. In various embodiments,filling the reservoir with the fluid from the valve bypass serves toprovide fluid to the suction of the pump 836, lift the shuttle e.g.,310, lift the shuttle articulated lid e.g., 312, and unblock flowthrough the valve along its centerline y-y where forward flow such asnormal forward flow is re-established in step 912. Re-establishment ofnormal flow is followed by a return to normal operation in step 914.

The pump-off control steps of FIG. 9 result, in various embodiments, incyclic flows through the pump. The time between these cyclic flows isshorter than would occur with a traditional valve in a traditionalproduction string configuration because such strings are unable tobypass flow to the reservoir.

As persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, many productionstring pumps rely on the pumped product as pump lubrication and coolant.Therefore, reducing the duration of dry pumping periods reduces pumpdamage due to operation with insufficient lubricant and coolant. Thebenefits include one or more of longer pump life, fewer outages, andhigher production from tight reservoirs.

The present invention has been disclosed in the form of exemplaryembodiments; however, it should not be limited to these embodiments.Rather, the present invention should be limited only by the claims whichfollow where the terms of the claims are given the meaning a person ofordinary skill in the art would find them to have.

What is claimed is:
 1. A downhole valve for use in a flow managementsystem comprising: a valve inlet for coupling with a hydrocarbonreservoir pump outlet; a valve outlet for coupling with productiontubing to surface pumped hydrocarbons; a valve body and a valve bodycenterline that extends between the valve inlet and outlet; a shuttlewithin the valve body, the shuttle urged by a spring to block a valvebody spill port in a valve body sidewall; the shuttle including a lidcarrier and a lid, the lid rotatably coupled to the lid carrier near alid carrier lid end; a lid carrier through hole that extends between alid carrier lid end mouth and a lid carrier spring end mouth; a firstseal between the lid carrier lid end mouth and the lid; a second sealbetween the lid carrier lid end mouth and the valve body; the valve forpassing a flow entering the through hole at the lid carrier spring end;and, the valve for spilling a flow that closes the lid against the lidcarrier such that a casing enclosing the valve returns the spilled flowto the reservoir.
 2. The downhole valve of claim 1 wherein the firstseal includes a lid carrier lip circle inside the lid carrier and thesecond seal includes a lid carrier lip circle outside the lid carrier.3. The downhole valve of claim 1 wherein the lid is lifted away from thelid carrier and the spring is extended while a reservoir pump outletpressure is sufficient to lift hydrocarbons through the valve andproduction tubing to the surface.
 4. The downhole valve of claim 1further comprising a spring rest that is stationary with respect to thevalve body.
 5. The downhole valve of claim 1 wherein the lid carrierthrough hole is coaxially arranged with respect to the valve bodycenterline.
 6. A production method for lifting hydrocarbons from asubterranean reservoir, the method comprising the steps of: in a casedhydrocarbon production string, fitting a downhole valve in theproduction string between a reservoir pump and production tubing forsurfacing pumped hydrocarbons; enclosing a shuttle in a valve bodychamber, the shuttle including a lid carrier and a lid; rotatablycoupling the lid to a lid carrier lid end that is opposite a lid carrierspring end; penetrating a valve body sidewall to provide a valve bodyspill port, the shuttle for selectively blocking the spill port;extending a lid carrier through hole between a lid carrier lid end mouthand a lid carrier spring end mouth; wherein a first seal is for sealingbetween the lid carrier lid end mouth and the lid and a second seal isfor sealing between the lid carrier lid end mouth and a valve body; and,wherein the valve passes a flow entering the through hole at the lidcarrier spring end and spills a flow that closes the lid against the lidcarrier such that a casing returns the spilled flow to the reservoir. 7.The production method of claim 6 wherein the first seal includes a lidcarrier lip circle inside the lid carrier and the second seal includes alid carrier lip circle outside the lid carrier.
 8. The production methodof claim 6 wherein the lid is lifted away from the lid carrier and thespring is extended while a reservoir pump outlet pressure is sufficientto lift hydrocarbons through the valve and production tubing to thesurface.
 9. The production method of claim 6 further comprising the stepof providing a spring rest that is stationary with respect to the valvebody.
 10. The production method of claim 6 wherein the lid carrierthrough hole is coaxially arranged with respect to a valve bodycenterline.
 11. A production string comprising: a flow path that extendsbetween a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir and a surface location; aforward flow moves hydrocarbons from the reservoir to the surface viathe production string; a reverse flow moves hydrocarbons from theproduction string to an annular space between the production string anda casing; a downhole pump in the production string between the reservoirand a valve; the valve having an inlet coupled to a pump outlet and thevalve having an outlet coupled to production tubing; the valve having abody and a body centerline extending between the valve inlet and thevalve outlet; a spill port in a body sidewall and a spring urged shuttlewithin a body chamber for blocking the spill port; the spring locatedbetween the shuttle and a spring rest fixed with respect to the valvebody; the shuttle including a lid and a lid carrier; the shuttle havinga through hole coaxially located with respect to the body centerline anddefining a shuttle spring end and shuttle lid end; the lid rotatablymounted to the lid carrier for selectively blocking the shuttle throughhole; the lid lifted away from the shuttle by flow through shuttlethrough hole and the spring extended from the spring rest while pumpoutlet pressure is sufficient to maintain the forward flow; and, the lidblocking the through hole and the shuttle compressing the spring againstthe spring rest during the reverse flow such that flow that closes thelid against the lid carrier is spilled.
 12. The production string ofclaim 11 wherein the lid carrier inlet mouth includes an internal lipfor sealing with the lid and an external lip for sealing with the valvebody.